Bill Wisser
Celebrate the burger at Magic City Casino.

If you haven’t yet found time to celebrate National Burger Month, Burger Beast invites you to attend his burger-themed food truck roundup this Saturday, May 18, at Magic City Casino.

From 5 to 10 p.m., this special edition of the Wheelin’ Dealin’ Street Food Festival will feature 20 different trucks — each highlighting a special burger for the occasion (even non-burger specific food trucks). It’s also the third annual celebration of the burger, no surprise considering Sef Gonzalez is coordinating the affair.

The burger listing is:

Two Jive Turkeys: Hula Burger, a deep fried turkey burger with grilled pineapple and smoked applewood bacon, topped with a Polynesian BBQ Polynesian Sauce made with Pineapple & Papaya, served between a Butter Toasted Bun.

Bite Gastrotruck: The BAMF, a burger with American cheese, bacon Jam, and chipotle mayo. Also offered is an apple pie milkshake for dessert.

Che Grill: The Gaucho Burger, an 8-oz. beef burger topped with mozzarella cheese, ham, egg, and bacon on a fresh bun.

Cheeseburger Baby: The Bacon-Egginator, a lightly toasted buttered bun stuffed with crispy honey smoked bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, a certified Angus beef half-pound burger, topped with a fried egg, and grilled yellow onions.

Da Burger Shack: The Bomb Burger

Daddy’s Grill: Bono Bacon Cheese Burger, a ground beef burger with provolone cheese and bacon on pan de Bono.

El Rey De Las Fritas: Frita La Criolla, an original frita a caballo with a sweet tostone.

Friar Tuck: The Angry Scotsman, a sweet and spicy chorizo cheeseburger with crispy bacon and an “angrily fried” egg.

Grill Master Cafe: The Master Burger with mozzarella cheese, caramelized onions, Julienne fries, and “GM” sauce.

Jefe’s Original Fish Taco & Burgers: Pinche Cholo, a grilled Angus beef patty with deli-style American cheese, smothered with slow roasted pork carnitas, pepper Jack cheese, grilled onions; stacked with thick-cut pastrami, yellow mustard, chipotle tamarind ketchup, and tangy pickles on a buttered, toasted bun.

Loaded Burger: The signature “Loaded Mac and Cheese Burger”.

Monster Burgers: The Monster Burger, an 8 oz. beef burger with bacon, extra mozzarella cheese, onions, & “Monster” sauces.

Ms. Cheezious: The Southern Belle, an organic tempeh burger with fried green tomatoes & house-made pimento cheese on a toasted bun.

Mr. Good Stuff: The Godfather, Italian sausage & black Angus patties stuffed with mozzarella & basil, then smothered with provolone cheese and topped with fresh bruschetta on a brioche bun.

Mushaboom: The Black Bean Burger, served with romaine lettuce, tomato, and spicy chipotle mayo.​

Pescados Unidos: El Chupacabra, a 12-oz. sirloin/chuck blend with peppered bacon, cheddar cheese, roasted poblano pepper, lettuce, tomato, onion, and chive aioli on a brioche bun.

Purple People Eatery: The Succubus, an all-natural grass-fed beef burger with Foie gras, caramelized shallots, quail egg, aged English cheddar, and truffle aoili.

The Rolling Stove: The Chipotle Bacon Burger with crispy fried onions, pepper Jack cheese, and jalapeño jelly.

Taco Fresh: The Santo Burger with queso Chihuahua, topped with salsa borracha on a soft Mexican bun, with and a slice of avocado.

Top Fries: Burger bites over fries with signature pink sauce.

Desserts will be available from Cold Stone Creamery; Fireman Derek’s World Famous Pies; HipPOP’s Handcrafted Gelato Bars; Marlie’s Delights; and Sweet Sensations.

Free parking is available.

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/shortorder/2013/05/burger_beasts_food_truck_round.php

Elisa Figueroa
2012 L.A. Street Food Fest at the Rose Bowl

Six days post-Tacolandia is, maybe, more than enough rest to prep for the return of the largest gathering of street food purveyors in the Southland on Saturday, June 29. Returning to the Rose Bowl, this year’s fest has been pushed a month up, meant to avoid the sweltering heat of July as experienced in events past. (Although there’s no telling with the weather these days.)

Over 75 vendors — from food trucks to pop-ups to restaurants — are expected to show up. There will be appearances from the familiar, such as Grilled Cheese Truck, Wicked Kitchen, Bigmista’s BBQ, Starry Kitchen, Ceviche Project and Plant Food for People. There will also be quite a few new faces to the event as well, including Badmaash and D’elish at Tiara Cafe.The Ice Cream Social is making a return, with sweets from The Donut Snob, Peddler’s Creamery, Churros Calientes, The Cream’wich and Z Confections.

For those interested in beer and spirits, there will be a Singha Beer Garden — complete with kegs, four cocktail bar stations and wine tasting at the Cupcake Winery’s mobile lounge. Those in search of non-alcoholic refreshments can head to stands like Pressed Juicery, Honest Tea, Jarritos and ONE Coconut Water. Handsome Roasters and The Coffee Bean will provide caffeinated pick-me-ups.

Live bands will be performing while attendees partake in all the food and drink that comes with a ticket purchase. The band will be announced as the event draws closer.

There are a limited number of all-inclusive presale tickets available, capping at 5,000. General admission is $50 and VIP early admission costs $75. Tickets can be purchased at the event’s website and Eventbrite. Among the swag and perks included with a ticket, free parking and Uber ride discounts might be the best one of all.

More details will be released in the next few days — we’ll keep you posted.

http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2013/05/street_food_fest.php

Customers formed a long line to buy crepes at La Petite Creperie in August 2011 at the Lexington Farmers Market. Hardwood Pizza also was at the farmers market.
Photo by Angela Baldridge — Lexington Herald-Leader file photo

The Lexington Parking Authority board of commissioners voted Thursday to accept the proposed new city food truck ordinance, subject to several modifications.

Commissioner Wayne Masterman, who operates Portofino restaurant on East Main Street, cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing that the proposed ordinance involves “too many unknowns, and too many unknown consequences.”

The pilot proposal would allow food trucks to stop in metered public parking places in specified areas downtown and sell food to pedestrians between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. They could operate between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. in any on-street parking areas where it is otherwise legal to park, with certain restrictions.

The mobile units now can operate only on private property.

The parking board’s requested changes essentially would tighten up the proposal. One modification, for example, would limit food trucks to no more than half of the parking spaces in operating zones designated by the ordinance. Truck operators also would be required to use pay-by-phone to pay for the parking spaces they use. Commissioners said that would ensure that operators do pay rather than simply feeding the parking meter whenever they see an enforcement officer approach.

Urban County Councilwoman Shevawn Akers, who heads the working group that is drafting the food truck proposal, called the parking board’s suggestions “very reasonable.” They should pose no problems, she said.

The board’s other suggestions include removing South Mill Street from the list of areas where food trucks could operate; adding West Vine Street between South Upper and Mill streets to the list; and prohibiting trucks from offering tables and chairs for customers.

Other provisions already in the proposed ordinance would ban food trucks from operating within 100 feet of the main entrance of any business during its posted operated hours. They also would be prohibited in residential zones.

The proposed ordinance notes that mobile food vendors are increasingly popular and says food trucks could “contribute to a vibrant and diverse food experience in Lexington.”

However, Masterman said he still has questions. Generally speaking, Masterman said, expanding food truck operations would lead to an “uneven playing field” for brick-and-mortar restaurants downtown.

“I do feel that by allowing them to use the public streets we’re creating an unfair advantage,” he said after Thursday’s meeting. “There are a lot of regulations and burdens on restaurants, and I think that people who are in buildings have to pay a lot more money and attention to things that people in trucks don’t have to do.”

Masterman said he’d like to see the trucks continue to operate on private property.

Meanwhile, Akers contended that food trucks could become “incubators for small business.” Many successful food-truck operators eventually might choose to start their own brick-and-mortar restaurants, she said. Indeed, Akers said some have already started to do that.

The proposed ordinance can move forward now that it has the parking commissioners’ endorsement.

Akers said her plan is to bring up the proposal for first reading at next week’s council session, with passage possible in early June.

The proposed ordinance would authorize food trucks in designated public parking places for an initial six-month pilot period only. During that time, officials could evaluate how well the system worked and fix any kinks that developed. If the plan is approved in June, it apparently would be good through December.

http://www.kentucky.com/2013/05/16/2642587/board-accepts-lexingtons-food.html

New food truck park plans emerging

Longtime resident intends to open Foodapalooza in Cedar Park

New plans are in the works to bring a food truck park to Cedar Park on the east side of Parmer Lane near FM 1431.

Levi Lambert, a Cedar Park resident and the man behind the Foodapalooza food truck park concept, said he intends to have the park up and running by February 2014.

“We have to get approval through planning and zoning and City Council and then go through permitting,” he said. “We don’t want to open in the dead of winter. So we will start construction in December with a soft opening in February and a grand opening by March.”

Larry Holt, Cedar Park assistant director of economic development, said the preliminary plan is to create a planned-use development for the 2-acre site.

“That tool has allowed us to take a property and specify design standards we would like to see over and above what’s required for the zoning,” he said. “It’s particularly appropriate for projects with some unusual characteristics.”

Foodapalooza is more than a few independent food trucks parked on a grassy knoll, Lambert said. The site is slated to have free wireless Internet so patrons can order food from their mobile phones from up to eight food trucks. All of the trucks will be owned and operated by Lambert and his staff, each with different offerings including sliders, beer and wine, Mexican food and ice cream.

The idea to create what he calls an upscale food truck park came from Lambert’s cooking background, he said, which includes degrees in culinary arts and food and beverage management. As a family man, Lambert said he hopes to build a picnic area, playground, splash pad, volleyball court and an outdoor film screen—all in an effort to become a dining and entertainment destination for families.

“Everything to me has a tie back into the family and my roots and growing up in Cedar Park. The trucks are named after members of my family,” he said. “It still needs to capture that food park feel but just overdone, upscale and out of this world.”

Avery Ranch update

In October, Waterstone Development announced plans to bring a food truck park to Avery Ranch by spring 2013. Jay Yates, owner of Curly’s Perfect Pig food truck in Round Rock, said he previously pursued establishing a food truck park on the property just north of the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex on Parmer Lane. Yates said the two parties are no longer working together, but he still hopes to bring a food truck park to the Avery Ranch community.

http://impactnews.com/articles/new-food-truck-park-plans-emerging/

Ivan Morin, 45, of Jewett City gets some chicken and other foods from volunteer Laurie Steiger of Griswold Wednesday at the Mobile Food Pantry in Jewett City.

A mobile food pantry offering fresh food to supplement food pantry users’ usual selection made its debut in Jewett City on Wednesday.

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/newsnow/x1409968816/Mobile-food-pantry-comes-to-Jewett-City#axzz2TZ8Wtbkd

A customer orders a tamale at Yo Chubby Gringo in Wausau in this file photo. Karla Van Wagner, who owns the cart with her husband, is one of the task force members who is working to develop a new mobile food vending ordinance. / Daily Herald Media file photo

City business owners, civic leaders and food vendors Wednesday began crafting an ordinance that would allow permits for food carts or trucks in Wausau.

The city currently doesn’t place any restrictions on mobile food vending, but Wausau City Clerk Toni Rayala said she has talked to a handful of residents who are interested in selling hot pizza or soup from carts or trucks, spurring the city to launch a permit system for the mobile vendors. Rayala said food carts and trucks are popular around the country and she would like to see some settle in Wausau.

“If (Wausau) can bring in something new, exciting and different, why not,” Rayala asked.

The city has been working to develop an ordinance to govern mobile vendors since late last year.

The Mobile Food Vending Task Force will meet again at 3 p.m. today in hopes of finalizing its proposal for a new city ordinance, Wausau Finance Director Maryanne Groat said. The ordinance, once drafted, will need approval by the Wausau City Council, which likely would happen this summer.

The issues agreed upon Wednesday include, among other things:

• Have a citizen’s panel select 10 mobile vendors that will get a permit in the city. Clint Schultz, a task force member who sells food on private property out of a food truck called Urban Street Bistro, said the city should allow a panel to judge who gets a permit.

“You want to put your best foot forward,” Schultz said. “If you’re renting from the city, the city’s giving you an opportunity to have the main stage.”

• Allow both non-food and food mobile vendors to be selected for a permit.

• Allow vendors to sell from 7 a.m. until local bars close, which, by law, is typically 2:30 a.m.

• Prohibit vendors from providing outdoor seating.

• Allow vendors to apply for a six-month permit on April 1 and Oct. 1 of every year.

The issues the task force will work on finding solutions for during today’s meeting include, among other things:

• Where within the city vendors will be allowed to sell. The city doesn’t permit vendors to sell items in parks. The task force is considering allowing the vendors to sell on all other city-owned property or just in the city’s business improvement district that includes areas immediately surrounding downtown or just on The 400 Block.

• Where, if at all, food trucks will be allowed to sell food. The task force agreed that food trucks should be required to sell food over the curb, not on one-way streets or alleyways. The task force couldn’t agree Wednesday whether it should permit food trucks to sell in metered or timed city parking spots or designate certain zones within the city for food truck vending.

City Council President Lisa Rasmussen said she supports an ordinance that would allow food trucks and carts.

“The public feedback that I’ve received from people, they say that they want both (carts and trucks),” Rasmussen said.

http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20130515/WDH0101/305150308/Local-business-owners-leaders-developing-food-cart-ordinance?nclick_check=1

Food Forward Toronto wants more food selection on the streets. (Peter McCluskey/CBC)

The issue of selling food on the streets of Toronto has been a thorny problem for vendors and politicians over the past few years.

Businesses are lobbying for more food carts on the streets — but the city says it needs to regulate the operators to guarantee health concerns are met.

A lobby group called Food Forward Toronto wants the city to relax the rules a little and let more and different foodsellers onto the streets.

On Wednesday the group held a demonstration in front of City Hall to make the point that it’s hard to find diverse food from carts and trucks.

One of the biggest problems, they say, is the lengthy approval process and costly permits.

Darcy Higgins of Food Forward Toronto says the city should do a few things.

“One is a moratorium that prevents any new street carts downtown and also food trucks aren’t allowed to be parked or in parking lots,” said Higgins.

Food Forward Toronto says it wants to see more diverse carts, but the city says there are already too many downtown.

“There needs to be a role for the city to say is the food safe, people need to know that … how do you stop people fighting over the same street corner, because some corners are more popular than others. All these issues need to be resolved,” said Coun. Adam Vaughan.

Vaughan says the food containers at Scadding Court near Dundas and Bathurst are an ideal model.

The city has set up shipping containers and turned them into speciality kitchens.

Diona Joyce paid a one-time fee for a business licence and rents her spot for $16 a day.

“A shipping container it looks like a food truck but we don’t have wheels,” she said.

The city says it wants to approve more trucks — but in areas that aren’t as densely served,.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2013/05/15/toronto-food-carts.html

(credit: NYSF)

We’ve been to the Comme Ci Comme Ca truck many times, and have enjoyed everything we’ve tried from Chef Samir.

One dish we have never tried is their Mogador Burger. It costs only $6, making it one of the less expensive food truck main courses around.

Mogador Burger (credit: NYSF)

The Mogador Burger is a nicely grilled beef patty with lots of goodies tucked away in the bun.

On top of the burger are fire-roasted peppers, which are soft and sweet, just like ______. (Use your imagination.)

Underneath the burger is arugula, sliced tomatoes, caramelized onions and Chef Samir’s Casablanca sauce.

As we’ve complained about before, lots of people say their onions are caramelized when they are just grilled. Look at these babies.  These onions are legitimately caramelized.

This was a delicious burger, but with all the fixings, the bottom of the bun got quite soggy, even though we ate it only a block away. A thicker bun would have been better to hold everything together throughout the meal. We had a similar problem with the salmon burger recently, so maybe the way to go is acouscous platter.

The Comme Ci, Comme Ça truck has a few different spots, so check their location on twitter here or on our Mobile Munchies twitter feed.

kofta couscous platter (credit: NYSF)

http://newyorkstreetfood.com/41246/street-eats-mogador-burger-from-comme-ci-comme-ca/

Ratings:

Food: 4.5/6 (Very Good – Excellent, based on 3 items only)
Ambiance: Quick and casual eatery (both food truck and store)
Service: Friendly and welcoming
(Ratings Info)

To me, street food is more than just quick filler to stop the feeling of hunger. Street food, even more so than the priciest or fanciest restaurants, gives the best perspective of the mentality behind a country’s cuisine.

It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Street food needs to be authentic and true to the tastes of the locals with no need for delicate plating or appeal to foreigners.

After 19 years of living on the West Coast, my knowledge of Venezuelan food didn’t stretch much past arepas. What a shame really, considering that the country is home to some amazing biodiversity and cultural influences from indigenous people, Spanish settlers and even African ideas.

What better way to remedy that with a healthy dose of Venezuelan street food, right on the streets of NYC?!

Patacon Pisao started out as a food cart but became so popular that they opened up a brick and mortar establishment to go with their food trucks. They’ve been nominated for the Vendy Awards for NYC’s best food carts several times which gives a pretty good indication of their popularity!

This is Venezuelan fast food at its cheap and delicious best. Everything seems so simple and straightforward, but the synergy in each bite is unexpected and satisfying.

It’s delicious, filling and perfect as that go-to neighbourhood place for a quick meal, but even more so it’s an insight  in a cuisine that doesn’t get the fanfare it should.

The menu here doesn’t even begin to delve into the intricacies of Venezuelan food, but rather sticks to some basic categories. The offerings aren’t really representative of what might be sold at a Venezuelan street stall, but many elements of the cuisine are retained.

As per their name, Patacon Pisao’s star attraction is the patacon, a sandwich with fried green plantain patties instead of buns! The other main categories for a meal are cachapas (sweet corn cakes), tachuchos (Venezuelan wraps), arepas (corn meal patties) and pepitos (Venezuelan hero sandwiches). There’s also some other small appetizers on the menu like empanadas but I found those to be more general Hispanic foods rather than uniquely Venezuelan.

To be honest, there’s not much to differentiate the main categories as they’re all the same mix of meat, lettuce, tomato and special sauce with some variety in presentation. That’s not a bad thing though when you’ve got the perfect filling down pat!

I first went to their Queens store and asked the nice lady at the counter for her recommendations and she answered with any of the patacons or tachuchos! She definitely wasn’t expecting me to try both but I also didn’t realize how filling each would be! One of these is definitely a substantial enough meal but they’re both enjoyable in different ways.

Things Roger Ate like a Pig

Patacon with Pollo (Chicken) – 5/6 (Excellent), $6

• Chicken, lettuce, American cheese, tomatoes and special sauce between green plantain “buns”

Just looking at the picture makes me crave more of this and I just ate dinner too! You may be tempted to think that switching out the bun for green plantains is the only thing separating this from any other sandwich, but that’s definitely not the case.

The green plantains ‘buns’ are excellent! They’re literally slices of green plantains cut lengthwise that are pressed and fried into a flat round shape. It does a decent job of holding everything together but I had a few slices fall apart. That being said, messiness almost seems like a requirement for delicious street food!

The idea is derived from patacones (also known as tostones), which are slices of green plantains cooked in a similar manner but served by themselves that are popular throughout Latin America. They’re twice fried for extra crispness and that really came through here! I also loved the slight starchiness that kept the sauce-filled contents from running rampant.

The chicken was wonderful too! It was shredded and lathered with a “special sauce” which was mayo-like in taste and consistency and had hints of chilies, onion, celery, parsley, cilantro and garlic. There was also some ketchup mixed in just like the tasty secret sauce at In-N-Out Burger! Apparently Venezuelans love using ketchup in their cuisine.

If this wasn’t moist enough alone, the lady at the counter also offered up these extra sauces for added enjoyment! There was a vegetable based mayo sauce, a hot sauce and a pink sauce that seemed like a blend between hot sauce and the mayo.

The vegetable sauce was the mayo component of the “secret sauce”: a bit like a Venezuelan version of a mojo sauce except with less strong of a garlic and onion feel. When taken alone the nuances in the different vegetables and herbs really stood out and gave this a refined and earthy feel. The hot sauce was quite liquid and added a tempered and mild heat.

Looking back now I’m quite thankful I only had one of these before I left New York because I didn’t hesitate to add additional sauce! The vegetable sauce in particular was addictive and if it wasn’t mayo I might just have been tempted to drink it straight up! One could argue that a delicious sauce is a necessary guise to make cheap food taste good, but calories be dammed because this was irresistible!

Add in a token amount of lettuce and tomatoes for some variety in texture and to give a middling excuse to pass this off as healthy and you have a complete and tasty Venezuelan meal in one small package!

Tachucho with Pernil (roast pork) – 4/6 (Very Good), $6

• Venezuelan wrap with white cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, roast pork, ketchup and special sauce

This had many as the same components as the patacon except in a different presentation. One bite later though and you’ll realize that this is no ordinary wrap or burrito.

The gush of molten cheese that came spilling out of the wrap was a delicious revelation! I don’t think I even got any filling in that first bite but it was a special moment nevertheless. I’ve never tried it before, but I’m guessing Chipotle’s legendary/infamous “quesa-rito” concoction would taste similar!

Apart from the cheese layer (which unfortunately wasn’t as plentiful throughout as it was for that first bite), the recipe for success here is pretty consistent throughout. The combination of lettuce, tomatoes, meat and that aforementioned vegetable mayo/ketchup “special sauce” made for a fatty and cheap food mess. If anything, this was even soggier with all the delicious juices from the roast pork mixed in!

That being said, I felt like the roast pork could’ve been stronger in flavour and even the pork juices tasted a little watery.  It also diluted all that special sauce goodness so I felt the need to add even more to make up for it.

Little reason to mess with a tried and true formula with the filling, but give this a fuller and more consistent layer of molten cheese in the wrap and this would’ve been the most decadent and enviable street food on the planet!

Even without that, the tachuchos are another great option for a delicious but little-known taste of Venezuela!

Cachapa with Chicken, Roast Pork and Shredded Beef  – 3/6 (Good), $7

• Cachapa (sweet corn cake) with chicken, roast pork, beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and special sauce

To be honest I probably didn’t need to try another one of the options as the formula for success is pretty consistent. Then again when you have something that works so well there’s no reason to mess with it!

Cachapas are pancakes made from mixing freshly ground corn into a pancake like batter before grilling. In Venezuela they’re often eaten with queso de mano, which literally translates to “hand cheese” in English, as the filling. The hand cheese is similar to mozzarella and is made from cow’s milk and ewe’s milk curd.

I would’ve loved to see cachapas used in this traditional way, but making hand cheese would probably require far too much preparation to be practical for a food cart looking for mass appeal.

The filling was doused with the same ketchup and vegetable based sauce as before, although this version was a little healthier with not so much sauce loaded in. As a result the roast pork and to a lesser extent the beef felt a little dry. It should be noted though that extra sauce was available at the stand but I only saw a hot sauce and the mixed pink sauce available.

The cachapa was unfortunately the most disappointing component. While the corn flavour was definitely present, I found the texture a little dry with was compounded by the fact that the cake itself was quite dense. I also didn’t get the nice char from grilling on the cachapas and even though it was made to order it felt a little lacking in authenticity.

I didn’t really notice the cheese that was supposed to be here and there wasn’t the same excitement of the oozing molten cheese that came with the tachucho.

By all means this was still a solid and filling option for a quick meal, but I definitely preferred their patacons and tachuchos!

Overall Thoughts

Patacon Pisao does a great job introducing NYC to the wonders of Venezuelan cuisine street food-style! Thanks to this experience I think patacons now have a permanent spot on top of my list of cheap and delicious street food cravings, right up there with Halal Guys!

Date visited: Apr. 13, 2013 (store), Apr. 27, 2013 (cart)

Price range: $0 – $10

http://rogereatslikeapig.com/blog/2013/05/08/patacon-pisao-nyc/

NEENAH — Mobile food vendors operating on streets and sidewalks must stay 500 feet away from events like Communityfest and the downtown Neenah farmers’ market under a proposed ordinance.

They also would face a $250 annual licensing fee.

The law would apply to food vending carts like Smoken Pig Express and to food vending trucks like Kangaroostaurant. It even would cover the popular ice cream truck that’s been traveling through Neenah neighborhoods for decades.

City staff had recommended ice cream trucks be exempt from the ordinance, but the Public Services and Safety Committee disagreed.

“I think we lose a little bit of credibility if we try to target certain kinds of mobile vendors,” Alderman Todd Stevenson said.

The Common Council will consider the ordinance Wednesday. It would prevent food carts from selling in front of brick-and-mortar restaurants, and in the central business district, it would restrict food trucks to seven specific locations.

Neenah currently doesn’t regulate mobile food vendors. They can operate anywhere in the city by obtaining a license for food sales and a permit for a solicitor, peddler or transient merchant.

The arrival of mobile food vendors in the central business district has drawn concerns from downtown restaurants, who argue the mobile food vendors are siphoning off business without paying property taxes or the special assessments to fund the downtown Business Improvement District.

Chris Haese, director of community development, said mobile vendors can add interest and ambiance to a community, “but if you over do it, and we start to see storefronts go empty, then we’ve got a real problem.”

Richard Linskens, owner of Smoken Pig Express, brings his food cart to the southeast corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Commercial Street on weekdays. He’s not opposed to the ordinance — other than the $250 license fee. He said the fee could force him to move his business to Menasha, which doesn’t charge a fee.

“I don’t know,” Linskens said. “Time will tell.”

April Kroner, deputy director of community development, said the ordinance is designed to allow mobile vending on streets and sidewalks while curbing unfair competition, protecting public safety and preserving customer parking.

Under the ordinance:

• Vending carts must be 100 feet away from any licensed food establishment and must maintain 6 feet of clearance on the sidewalk.

• Mobile vendors must maintain a 500-foot buffer from special events. The buffer extends two hours before and after the event. Kroner said without the buffer “mobile vendors would set up right across the street and be able to have all of the customers, but they’re not paying to be a part of that event.”

• Vending trucks must operate curbside; service in the street is prohibited.

• In the central business district, only seven areas would be permissible for mobile food vending trucks. None would be allowed on Wisconsin Avenue because the street has angled parking.

• Only six trucks and three carts would be licensed to operate in the central business district during a year. There would be no limit in the balance of the city.

• Mobile vendors would pay a $250 license fee.

John Skyrms, a downtown property owner and a member of the Business Improvement District Board, said the ordinance provides a balance between competing interests.

“No one is going to be thrilled with this,” Skyrms said. “From one side to the other, mobile vendors want this, and restaurant owners want this. I think this is an excellent compromise.”

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20130513/APC0101/305080550/Neenah-moves-regulate-mobile-food-vendors?nclick_check=1